Talks - Controlling the Instinctive Mind

Controlling the Instinctive Mind

Controlling the Instinctive Mind

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
, 1999-02-06

Today Gurudeva talks about the instinctive mind, how to tame it by sitting quietly for 20 minutes a day. He explains how you can separate the light of the mind from the pictures which appear in the mind, just as one can separate the light of the TV screen from the pictures which appear on the screen.

Unedited Transcript:

Today at Kauai Aadheenam, February 6th. Our Cyberspace Ashram doors are open to you. Welcome!

Today, we are having a large group from Japan come. They are Japanese New Age people. They are interested in our 700-hundred pound, beautiful, six-sided, perfect, multi-million year old crystal and they are interested in the Sanatana Dharma, Hinduism, the laws of karma, the laws of reincarnation. *And* They are wondering, "Where is the New Age going? Where is it leading us?" We will tell you more about our experience with them tomorrow.

We are doing a sadhana here through cyberspace, and that is just sitting quietly for at least twenty minutes a day, preferably at the same time. We are training the instinctive mind. We have three stages of the mind - instinctive, intellectual and superconscious. The superconscious mind is perfect; it is the mind of the soul. The intellectual mind can be imperfect depending on how we are educated. Whether we are educated according to eternal truths on the planet, or all kinds of *other* ideas and opinions of other people, picked up by the intellect and repeated even if they are not understood. The instinctive mind runs the functions of the body. That is the animal within us and we are going to tame that animal by sitting quietly at least twenty minutes a day, preferably at the same time.

How many people say, "When I do that, my mind just goes crazy! I think all kinds of thoughts." That is alright. Think all kinds of thoughts.

Think about this. You are looking at a television and you are thinking all kinds of things and feeling all kinds of emotions. But, there is a light coming out through the screen that makes the pictures possible to see. Now that light is not concerned with the pictures. That light is not concerned with the emotions that the pictures stir within you. That light is the light of the soul and that is the same light that can be thought of as your inner light, the light of your mind that lights up the pictures of your mind.

So, as the mind races from one subject to another, one picture to another, be aware more of the light. Now it may take a month or two before you are able to do this but keep listening to this one particular talk I am giving today. It gives you the key to controlling the instinctive mind, and once the instinctive mind is under your control, that means under the control of your soul, spiritual advancement is assured. Spiritual advancement is assured. When you are sitting quietly for twenty minutes, preferably at the same time, don't move a muscle. Don't wiggle. Don't blink. Just breathe and observe the light that is lighting up your many, many, many thoughts.

That is it for today, everyone. Have a beautiful, beautiful day, and get your happiness, from making others happy!

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When we restrain our tendencies to deceive, to lie and break promises, our external life is uncomplicated, as is our subconscious mind. Honesty is the foundation of truth. It is ecologically, psychologically purifying.